Species Account
Bird Report 2024
Increasing resident, first bred in the county in 2008. Included in 12.1% of BirdTrack lists.
The earliest record of successful breeding was on 18th March at Priory CP, where three goslings were noted. Thereafter, broods appeared at the regular sites of Black Cat GP, Blunham Lakes, Coronation ClP, Great Barford Lake, MCP Wetlands NR, the River Ouse through Bedford, Rookery South ClP, Southill Lake, Willington Lock Quarry and Woburn Park. The latest record of recently fledged young was on 20th July, illustrating that successful breeding took place over a period of four months.
The highest count was of 43 at Great Barford Lake on 24th September, with other counts of 30 or more at Woburn Park (35) on 5th November and Willington GP (30) on 2nd December.
